The REAL ID deadline has arrived. Here's what to know.
Two decades after Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, travelers will finally be asked for compliant IDs to board planes starting Wednesday. Travelers will still be able to fly without a REAL ID, officials said this week, but they may face extra scrutiny at the airport.
In Illinois, a last-minute surge in REAL ID-seekers left Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias visibly irritated at a news conference Monday.
Giannoulias urged Illinois residents to not get a REAL ID immediately unless they must have one, saying Wednesday's deadline 'isn't really a deadline.'
Illinois residents can still use other forms of identification to board a plane after May 7, such as a passport, and do not need a REAL ID to drive a vehicle or identify themselves, Giannoulias added.
The state issued more than 185,000 REAL IDs during April — 40,000 more than the month before, according to Giannoulias. Five days before the deadline, the state processed more REAL IDs than any other day, at more than 11,000. The surge made it difficult for many to access other DMV and secretary of state services, Giannoulias said Monday.
The state will continue expanded REAL ID services, including Saturday hours, and a REAL ID Supercenter in Chicago will remain open at least through the end of the month. The supercenter, at 191 N. Clark St., offers walk-in service.
Department of Homeland Security head Kristi Noem said Tuesday that domestic travelers without a REAL ID or passport will still be able to fly, for now. They 'may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step' in security, she said.
Extra enforcement methods will vary by airport, according to TSA's Great Lakes regional spokesperson Jessica Mayle.
Mayle said she wasn't certain how long U.S. residents could continue flying without a REAL ID. Mayle considers the deadline the beginning of 'full enforcement,' instead of any sort of phased transition.
'I don't want anyone in the future to expect what's happening now to be what happens forever,' Mayle said. 'People need to get in compliance as quickly as they can.'
Temporary paper REAL IDs, issued while people wait for the hard copy of their ID cards, cannot be used alone to board flights, Mayle added. Another form of identification, such as a driver's license, is required alongside the paper ID, and those passengers may still be subject to extra screening.
Giannoulias said that while some residents receive the hard copy of their ID in about a week, it usually takes two to three weeks. Lines to apply for the REAL ID have been long recently.
'To see these lines right outside our door here, it is probably the most frustrating thing I've ever seen in public life, because it does not have to be this way,' said Giannoulias. 'Again, people have had over a decade to get this done.'
Giannoulias added that the Department of Homeland Security did not do 'a great job of having a uniform process on this issue,' a sentiment he has expressed for months.
Yet reports of long lines and few available DMV appointments have led to some criticism of the secretary's efforts. Giannoulias said Monday that he has done 'everything but light himself on fire' in his quest to help Illinois residents become REAL ID compliant.
In March, his office opened the REAL ID Supercenter in Chicago's Loop and added Saturday hours at 12 DMVs across the state to meet a growing demand for the document. The secretary of state's website also added a portal with a checklist for people to ensure they need a REAL ID before seeing appointment availability.
The Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement that it had 'made significant efforts' to educate the public about the ID requirement, including via digital signs at O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport and through social media posts.
Mayle said given the REAL ID surge at DMVs, she would not recommend rushing to get one, but the Transportation Security Administration expects travelers to face delays or extra screening at airports.
'It is a very, very busy time for them (the Illinois secretary of state's office),' Mayle said. 'We are going to try and process those travelers and get them through the checkpoint, but really recommend they give themselves extra time. … What TSA is most concerned about is that you bring something to the checkpoint that's acceptable.'
The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 on a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission. Implementation has been repeatedly delayed since.
Chicago Tribune's Talia Soglin contributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
NY's Mannion, Lawler trade barbs in heated House spat. What was said?
Two New York members of Congress had a heated spat on the House floor that began when Democratic Rep. John Mannion angrily confronted Republican Rep. Mike Lawler. The clash took place at a supercharged moment on Thursday, June 12, after Democratic U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, was forcibly removed from a press conference and handcuffed by federal agents, stoking Democrats' fury. According to an Axios account, Lawler was talking with a colleague on the Democrats' side of the room when Mannion shouted at him to "do something" and "grow a pair of balls." He laced that message with expletives, according to what was picked up in a C-Span broadcast and quoted by 'F---ing get over there and get some f---ing balls.' Mannion, a freshman representing the Syracuse area, later gave Axios a more sanitized description, saying "I asked him to compel his colleagues to save the country and stop what the people of this country do not want ... the defiance of law." One reporter who witnessed the dustup posted on X: "Wow. Massive shouting fight on the floor. A house democrat is screaming at Mike lawler to get Off the democratic side of the floor." Lawler soon posted in response: "John Mannion was entirely unhinged and unprofessional. That was a shameful display that exposed his complete lack of temperament." Lawler, a second-term member from Rockland County, didn't detail what the two said to one another, but closed with some profane advice: "He should go seek help for anger management — and f--k off." In an interview on Friday, Lawler told the USA Today Network the run-in came out of the blue as House members were casting votes and he was chatting with Rep. Jimmy Pannetta, a California Democrat and fellow member of the Problem Solvers Caucus. All of sudden, he said, Mannion began screaming at him from about four rows away. "It was one of the most bizarre things I have ever seen happen on the House floor," he said. Lawler said he was so surprised he asked if Mannion was talking to him. He was. They exchanged profanities. What Mannion was demanding of him was unclear when the encounter ended, Lawler said. "It was unhinged, it was certainly unprofessional," Lawler said of Mannion's outburst. Mannion said in a statement that he's fighting for his hometown and country to "stop the rise of authoritarian government and the destruction of American democracy." "If making some noise on the house floor and calling out Trump enablers draws attention to what's happening to our country right before our eyes — good," he said. "Today it's roughing up and handcuffing a United States Senator and a politicized military patrolling the streets of American cities. It's the willing abandonment of the rule of law and a gross fealty to a want-to-be dictator who is tearing the country apart. None of this is normal or okay." The backdrop was a political storm over President Donald Trump sending National Guard troops and Marines into Los Angeles to quell protests over his mass-deportation push. Democrats have condemned Trump's orders as inflammatory and authoritarian. Padilla, the senator from California, planned to question Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem at a press conference on Thursday when he was pushed from the room and handcuffed on the ground by federal agents. Partisan tensions were also evident Thursday at a day-long House hearing at which Republicans berated Gov. Kathy Hochul and two other Democratic governors for "sanctuary" policies toward undocumented immigrants. As Democrats were ripping the Trump administration for rounding up law-abiding parents and children, Republicans were deploring what they see as overly lax policies. Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@ This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Immigration debate: NY's Mannion confronts Lawler on House floor
5 hours ago
Trump admin live updates: DHS tells ICE to pause most raids on farms, hotels, restaurants
Trump has shifted his stance on undocumented workers in those industries. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to ABC News that it issued new guidance to pause most raids on farms, restaurants, and hotels, after President Trump earlier this week shifted his stance on targeting undocumented workers in those industries. Meanwhile, a massive military parade to mark the Army's 250th birthday will be underway Saturday in Washington, D.C. Key Headlines Jun 14, 2025, 11:46 AM EDT Trump admin tells ICE to pause most raids on farms, hotels, restaurants Jun 13, 2025, 11:44 PM EDT Trump earned $600M in 2024, including $57M from crypto venture: Financial disclosure Jun 12, 2025, 7:33 PM EDT Johnson says passing bill that codifies DOGE cuts a 'critical step' Jun 12, 2025, 6:33 PM EDT CBO says Trump megabill would cut resources for poor, help rich Here's how the news is developing. 45 Updates Jun 09, 2025, 5:51 PM EDT Trump touts Trump Savings Accounts for children Trump touted the new Trump Savings Account in the GOP megabill at a roundtable at the White House with lawmakers and top CEOs. "The Trump Accounts, as they call it, pilot program, which will make it possible for countless American children to have a strong start in life, at no cost to the American taxpayer. Absolutely no cost. It's gonna have a huge impact," Trump said. Should the bill become law, the government would deposit $1,000 into a tax-deferred, low-cost index fund account that will track the overall stock market for each newborn. Additional contributions can go up to $5,000 annually. When the children reach adulthood, they would be able to take out money to cover things like college or a down payment on a home. Trump said that the account will "contribute to the lifelong success of millions of newborn babies" "They'll be open for additional private contributions each year from family, friends, parents, employers, churches, private foundations and more. This is a pro-family initiative that will help millions of Americans harness the strength of our economy to lift up the next generation, and they'll really be getting a big jump on the life, especially if we get a little bit lucky with some of the numbers in the economy into the future," Trump added. House Speaker Mike Johnson touted how the "transformative" policy can help American families. "It's a bold, transformative policy that gives every eligible American child a financial head start from day one,' Johnson said. 'Republicans are proud to be the party we always have been that supports life and families and prosperity and opportunity. And Trump accounts are all about setting up the next generation for success. For future Americans, this early investment could really be the game-changer.' -ABC News' Michelle Stoddart Jun 09, 2025, 12:47 PM EDT Hegseth to testify on Capitol Hill multiple times this week U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will testify three times on Capitol Hill this week, beginning with his first hearing on Tuesday. This will be the first time Hegseth sits down to be questioned publicly before Congressional committees since his tumultuous confirmation hearing on Jan. 14. Hegseth will be on Capitol Hill to discuss the Dept. of Defense's budget as part of the annual appropriations process. However, lawmakers will surely take the opportunity to question Hegseth on a number of topics, including the ongoing immigration-related protests in Los Angeles and the National Guard deployment, the Qatari plane and his participation in the so-called Signal-Gate scandal. Hegseth will testify alongside the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John 'Razin' Caine. Caine replaced Gen. CQ Brown after the latter was fired by President Trump in February. -- ABC News' Mariam Kahn Jun 09, 2025, 12:36 PM EDT Trump, Netanyahu to speak Monday President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to speak Monday, a White House official confirms to ABC News. The two world leaders spoke two weeks ago, when Trump later said he warned Netanyahu not to take actions that could disrupt nuclear talks with Iran. Their talk comes as Iranians called the latest U.S. proposal on a new nuclear deal "unreasonable, greedy, and unconventional," and as American officials wait for Hamas to respond to their latest hostage/ceasefire proposal. --ABC News' Lalee Ibssa President Donald Trump will host a roundtable Monday to formally announce the provision in his massive funding bill called the "Trump savings accounts," which will allow parents and guardians to invest funds in the financial markets on behalf of children, a White House official confirms to ABC News. The savings account would be applicable to children born between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2029. The government would deposit $1,000 into a tax-deferred, low-cost index fund account that will track the overall stock market for each newborn. Additional contributions can go up to $5,000 annually. When the children reach adulthood, they are able to take out the money to cover things like college or a down payment on a home. "The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill will literally change the lives of working, middle class families across America by delivering the largest tax cuts in history, increasing the child tax credit, AND by creating this incredible new "Trump Account" program, which will put the lives of young Americans on the right financial path," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to ABC News. Multiple CEO's from companies, such as Dell Technologies, will appear with Trump to announce billions of dollars in collective investments into "Trump Accounts" for the children of their employees, according to the official. The event comes as the White House works to highlight Trump's so-called "One, Big, Beautiful Bill," as the Senate works through attempting to pass the budget bill and amid explosive criticism from Elon Musk last week. --ABC News' Lalee Ibssa
Associated Press
6 hours ago
- Associated Press
Medicaid enrollees fear losing health coverage if Congress enacts work requirements
It took Crystal Strickland years to qualify for Medicaid, which she needs for a heart condition. Strickland, who's unable to work due to her condition, chafed when she learned that the U.S. House has passed a bill that would impose a work requirement for many able-bodied people to get health insurance coverage through the low-cost, government-run plan for lower-income people. 'What sense does that make?' she asked. 'What about the people who can't work but can't afford a doctor?' The measure is part of the version of President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful' bill that cleared the House last month and is now up for consideration in the Senate. Trump is seeking to have it passed by July 4. The bill as it stands would cut taxes and government spending — and also upend portions of the nation's social safety net. For proponents, the ideas behind the work requirement are simple: Crack down on fraud and stand on the principle that taxpayer-provided health coverage isn't for those who can work but aren't. The measure includes exceptions for those who are under 19 or over 64, those with disabilities, pregnant women, main caregivers for young children, people recently released from prisons or jails — or during certain emergencies. It would apply only to adults who receive Medicaid through expansions that 40 states chose to undertake as part of the 2010 health insurance overhaul. Many details of how the changes would work would be developed later, leaving several unknowns and causing anxiety among recipients who worry that their illnesses might not be enough to exempt them. Advocates and sick and disabled enrollees worry — based largely on their past experience — that even those who might be exempted from work requirements under the law could still lose benefits because of increased or hard-to-meet paperwork mandates. Benefits can be difficult to navigate even without a work requirement Strickland, a 44-year-old former server, cook and construction worker who lives in Fairmont, North Carolina, said she could not afford to go to a doctor for years because she wasn't able to work. She finally received a letter this month saying she would receive Medicaid coverage, she said. 'It's already kind of tough to get on Medicaid,' said Strickland, who has lived in a tent and times and subsisted on nonperishable food thrown out by stores. 'If they make it harder to get on, they're not going to be helping.' Steve Furman is concerned that his 43-year-old son, who has autism, could lose coverage. The bill the House adopted would require Medicaid enrollees to show that they work, volunteer or go to school at least 80 hours a month to continue to qualify. A disability exception would likely apply to Furman's son, who previously worked in an eyeglasses plant in Illinois for 15 years despite behavioral issues that may have gotten him fired elsewhere. Furman said government bureaucracies are already impossible for his son to navigate, even with help. It took him a year to help get his son onto Arizona's Medicaid system when they moved to Scottsdale in 2022, and it took time to set up food benefits. But he and his wife, who are retired, say they don't have the means to support his son fully. 'Should I expect the government to take care of him?' he asked. 'I don't know, but I do expect them to have humanity.' There's broad reliance on Medicaid for health coverage About 71 million adults are enrolled in Medicaid now. And most of them — around 92% — are working, caregiving, attending school or disabled. Earlier estimates of the budget bill from the Congressional Budget Office found that about 5 million people stand to lose coverage. A KFF tracking poll conducted in May found that the enrollees come from across the political spectrum. About one-fourth are Republicans; roughly one-third are Democrats. The poll found that about 7 in 10 adults are worried that federal spending reductions on Medicaid will lead to more uninsured people and would strain health care providers in their area. About half said they were worried reductions would hurt the ability of them or their family to get and pay for health care. Amaya Diana, an analyst at KFF, points to work requirements launched in Arkansas and Georgia as keeping people off Medicaid without increasing employment. Amber Bellazaire, a policy analyst at the Michigan League for Public Policy, said the process to verify that Medicaid enrollees meet the work requirements could be a key reason people would be denied or lose eligibility. 'Massive coverage losses just due to an administrative burden rather than ineligibility is a significant concern,' she said. One KFF poll respondent, Virginia Bell, a retiree in Starkville, Mississippi, said she's seen sick family members struggle to get onto Medicaid, including one who died recently without coverage. She said she doesn't mind a work requirement for those who are able — but worries about how that would be sorted out. 'It's kind of hard to determine who needs it and who doesn't need it,' she said. Some people don't if they might lose coverage with a work requirement Lexy Mealing, 54 of Westbury, New York, who was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgeries, said she fears she may lose the medical benefits she has come to rely on, though people with 'serious or complex' medical conditions could be granted exceptions. She now works about 15 hours a week in 'gig' jobs but isn't sure she can work more as she deals with the physical and mental toll of the cancer. Mealing, who used to work as a medical receptionist in a pediatric neurosurgeon's office before her diagnosis and now volunteers for the American Cancer Society, went on Medicaid after going on short-term disability. 'I can't even imagine going through treatments right now and surgeries and the uncertainty of just not being able to work and not have health insurance,' she said. Felix White, who has Type I diabetes, first qualified for Medicaid after losing his job as a computer programmer several years ago. The Oreland, Pennsylvania, man has been looking for a job, but finds that at 61, it's hard to land one. Medicaid, meanwhile, pays for a continuous glucose monitor and insulin and funded foot surgeries last year, including one that kept him in the hospital for 12 days. 'There's no way I could have afforded that,' he said. 'I would have lost my foot and probably died.' ___ Associated Press writer Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut contributed to this article.
